Interior wall constructions using steel framing members is well-known. Steel framing members are generally made by roll-forming 12 to 25 gauge galvanized sheet steel. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, steel framed wall constructions commonly include horizontal header and footer channel tracks having a plurality of matching vertical studs therebetween. Although many cross-sectional shapes are available, the primary shapes used in steel framed wall constructions are C-shaped studs and U-shaped channel tracks (see, e.g., prior art FIGS. 1 and 2; Builders' Steel Stud Guide, American Iron and Steel Institute, Publication RG-9607, October, 1996).
An advantage of steel wall construction is not only strength and fire resistance, but also ease of assembly. For example, C-shaped steel studs may be readily positioned into opposing U-shaped steel footer and header channel tracks (also sometimes referred to as runners) by means of retaining devices in one or both of the beams. Examples of such steel framed wall constructions may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,854,096 and 4,805,364 both to Smolik.
Steel framed wall constructions may also be configured to allow building movement such as during a seismic event without damage to the wallboard. In this regard, full-height non-load-bearing walls configured to accommodate vertical ceiling movement are known (e.g., dynamic head-of-wall systems), and are commonly installed beneath overhead structural members such as roof beams, floor beams, and the like. Examples of these types of steel framed wall constructions may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,203 to Paquette and U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,760 to Brady. In these exemplary steel framed wall assemblies a stud is vertically positioned within the U-shaped header track at a vertically aligned slot and a screw is inserted through the slot and into the stud. A wallboard is then attached to at least one side of the studs. In these type of configurations, and upon movement of the building and/or overhead structural member (e.g., during an earthquake), the studs are able to slide vertically in the header track as the screws slide in the slots (thereby preventing the wallboard from cracking by permitting up and down movement). In other words, and because the studs and wallboard are spaced apart from the ceiling a short gap distance, ceiling deflections caused by seismic activity or moving overhead loads can be readily accommodated.
A disadvantage of these prior art approaches, however, is that each screw must be precisely installed by a tradesman standing on a stool or ladder, which is both time-consuming and expensive. The fastening screw must not be installed too tight such that it could bind and prevent the sliding motion of the stud within the track. The screw must also not be installed too loose such that it protrudes and inhibits subsequent wallboard installation. U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,705 to Orszulak et al. overcomes these shortcomings by providing an M-shaped header receiving track that includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart elongated retaining slots, with each slot being sized and configured to receive an upper end portion of a steel stud. In this fastener-less configuration, the studs are able to slide vertically within the retaining slots of the M-shaped header.
A common problem associated with all of the above-identified steel framed wall constructions is that they do not provide for a convenient and economical way for forming wallboard backing support along the inside corner formed at the intersection of two adjoining walls. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, rigid backing support surfaces are needed adjacent to and along either side of such inside corner intersections (as well as other wall edges) so that wallboard (e.g., drywall or gypsum board) can be properly attached. In common practice and as shown in prior art FIGS. 3A-C, wallboard backing support at inside corner intersections is typically accomplished in the following exemplary manner: (1) a tradesman first vertically positions and secures a sheet metal stud (within the opposing footer and header U-shaped channel tracks) of a first wall immediately adjacent to the intersection of the first and second walls; (2) the same or different tradesman then attaches wallboard to the first wall (and generally in a manner such that a portion of the attached wallboard extends into the interior space of the second wall, with the wallboard being selectively notched to accommodate plumbing and/or electrical wiring that may have likely been installed); (3) the same or different tradesman then vertically positions and secures a second sheet metal stud of the second wall (commonly known as a “slip stud”) immediately adjacent to the wallboard of the first wall, and (4) finally, the same or different tradesman then attaches additional wallboard to the second wall such that it abuts the wallboard of the first wall.
The above-described method for providing rigid backing support surfaces is inefficient both in terms of labor and materials. Therefore, there still exists a need in the art for novel structures and related methods for providing a rigid backing or support surface for wallboard at an inside corner formed at the intersection of two adjoining steel framed walls. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides for further related advantages.